Opulent jackets and eye-catching fascinators shone brightly in the winter sunshine as increased crowds celebrated the return of Ladies Day at Cheltenham.
After a five-year hiatus, tradition returned with the thousands arriving at the festival on Wednesday, giving it the thumbs-up through fashion and their feet.
Attendance was up 10 per cent from last year, when the figure slumped to a 30-year low after the unsuccessful rebrands of Festival Wednesday and then Style Wednesday.
It was a major boost for the organisers, who had seen several years of falling attendance for the second day of the festival, and had secured a three per cent rise in numbers on the opening day.
Among those to mark the occasion at Prestbury Park was the Queen, who was pictured meeting a group of trailblazing women, including two members of England’s Women’s Rugby World Cup-winning side and Rachael Blackmore, the first female jockey to win both the Grand National and the Cheltenham Gold Cup.
Zara Tindall and Carole Middleton were also in attendance to make up the royal ranks.
On the concourse, there was a clear increase in the number of women in the usually male-dominated crowd compared to the opening day. On the eve of the event, organisers said a third of ticket buyers were female.
The total attendance was 46,317, up from 41,941 last year.
“I think it’s fabulous to see so many women here, and so many looking so great,” said hat-maker Carollee Emery, who was at the festival with her partner Nathan Oliver.
The pair caught the eye with their glamorous hats topped with ostrich, peacock and pheasant feathers.
“They took all night to make,” said Ms Emery, from Chard, Somerset. “I made them especially for Ladies’ Day. I just love the event because you can come dressed in anything, and you can be outrageous.
“I didn’t mind Style Wednesday [its former name], but I think the prestige of Ladies Day has much more of a pull, and attracts more people, men and women.”
Lucy Taylor also welcomed the move. Ms Taylor, from Northampton, who was wearing a Charlotte Simone jacket, said: “Racing tends to attract big groups of men, so it’s good to have a day back that focuses on encouraging groups of girls. The sport needs it, and you can see today that many are embracing it.”
Friends Diggy Rodber, Stevie Scanlan and Sarah-Jane Mairie all said Wednesday provided the best opportunity of the racing week to get dressed up. And although Style Wednesday offered the same chance, Ladies Day properly announced the occasion, they said.
Ms Rodber said: “It is a massive occasion, and one you only hope brings more women into racing, because it’s truly wonderful here.”
Ladies Day was dropped in 2019, with the move to rename it Style Wednesday in 2022 prompting accusations of “wokeness” against organisers, who have been clear the decision to revert was purely down to marketing strategy.
Among those who criticised the move was former Tory minister and now Reform UK member Nadine Dorries. Speaking on Wednesday to GB News, she said: “I'm just so glad they've seen sense and the wokeness is gone and they've given us our day back. It's Ladies Day. It's not Ascot.”
The campaign to promote Ladies’ Day was led by ex-jockey, Ms Blackmore, and as part of the event, a dedicated zone was set up with entertainment and live music.
“I think Cheltenham has really taken steps to make this a really inclusive festival for everyone and Ladies Day is back with a bang this year for sure,” Ms Blackmore said.
Guy Lavender, Chief Executive of Cheltenham Racecourse, said: “When we decided last year to bring Ladies Day back for 2026 we were determined to really engage with female racegoers and women who had either been before, but not for a while, or had never joined us at Cheltenham in the past.
“The team, working with Rachael Blackmore, have worked really hard to spread the word and promote day two of The Festival as Ladies Day, as well as putting on some fantastic experiences on course today.”
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